By Diane Pineiro-Zucker, Daily
Freeman
KINGSTON Timothy Matthews, the
former city police detective lieutenant who is serving prison time for stealing
more than $200,000 in public and private money, is making restitution payments
as ordered by the court, but Ulster County prosecutors aren’t happy with the
speed of his payments, according to Assistant District Attorney John Tobin.
“We have recovered money ... but
there’s still a lot more,” Tobin said Monday. He said Matthews has paid about
8.5 percent of what he owes.
Matthews, a high-ranking and
highly regarded member of the Kingston Police Department before the theft
allegations surfaced, pleaded guilty in February 2012 and was sentenced to
three to nine years in state prison.
Matthews has paid $18,320 of the
$212,000 he admitted stealing from the city of Kingston, Ulster County and
Ulster Savings Bank, Tobin said. That leaves a debt of $193,680.
When payments are received by
the DA’s office, before the city, county or bank can be repaid, the DA must
allocate $500 to federal and state back taxes, to Matthews’ ex-wife for alimony
and to Matthews’ children who are under the age of 21 for child support, Tobin
said.
After that, “the leftover is
supposed to be deposited in the DA’s office account,” and 58 percent goes to
the city, to pay back the $122,000 stolen; 38 percent goes to Ulster County, to
pay back $80,000; and 4 percent goes to Ulster Savings Bank, to pay back
$10,000, Tobin said.
Matthews “has been sending money
voluntarily but not on a regular basis at all. ... We’re left with whatever crumbs
drop off that table,” Tobin said. “Luckily, we at least had pension benefits to
draw from. Apparently there’s slim pickings. ... We’re a little disappointed.”
Under New York state law, Tobin
said, the DA’s office is not informed of the total amount of pension payments
Matthews receives.
Special prosecutor Thomas
Melanson said his office is in the process of having Matthews’ restitution
order modified by Rensselear County Judge Andrew Ceresia, who presided over
Matthews’ trial after Ulster County Judge Donald A. Williams recused himself.
The amended order “will recognize the priority (of Matthews’ obligations),”
specifying that he must pay tax liens and child support before repaying the
city, the county and the bank, Melanson said.
Melanson said Matthews’
obligation to pay health insurance premiums for his children was not included
in the original order. The order also failed to specify that “if he comes into
any other income ... it must go towards restitution,” Melanson said.
The amended order also will specify
that Matthews’ prison sentence can be extended by one year if he fails to pay,
Melanson said. “He’s on notice now for that,” he said.
Melanson said Matthews fell
behind in his restitution payments but a check submitted at the end of last
year and a subsequent check “about a month ago” may have brought him up to
date.
“He made payments,” Melanson
said. “But they might not be as much as anybody would like them to be. We can’t
say, ‘Don’t pay child support and pay restitution first.’”
In his plea, Matthews admitted
stealing more than $50,000 from the city of Kingston; more than $50,000 from
Ulster County, for which he headed the anti-crime task force known as URGENT;
and $10,000 from Ulster Savings Bank, for which he handled security tasks.
Matthews is scheduled to have
his first parole hearing the week of April 14. Ulster County District Attorney
Holley Carnright has said he will not attend.
Tobin said last month that the
DA’s office attends such hearing only “in extraordinary cases,” and Carnright
said, “I don’t see this as an exception.”
Matthews is serving his sentence
at the Midstate Correctional Facility near Utica, according to the New York
State Department of Corrections.
